Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration
In the late 1930s, avant garde illustrator Mahlon Blaine, working under the pseudonym G.Christopher Hudson created a series of illustrations which were intended to become murals for the studio or showroom of noted New York City interior designer Paul MacAlister. In this work, the second of the series, a mechanical bird menaces the Medusa-inspired nude goddess who cowers atop a stone robot in a patriotic American apple pie infused red, white and blue color palette.
Artist: Mahlon Blaine
A delicately rendered high society Belle Epoque turn of the century Venice Italy gondola scene . Most likely an interior illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, as Wright was a weekly contributor there. Wright was born in 1872 and a member of the National Academy. He founded an artistic community in Westport, CT, and his works are in numerous museums and galleries . He is listed in Who’s Who in American Art, Davenports, the Artists Bluebook and The Illlustrator in America by Walt Reed.
Artist: George Hand Wright
From the estate of legendary Ziegfeld Follies photographer Alfred Cheney Johnston comes this beautiful portrait of Follies showgirl Barbara Dean. Noted illustrator J. Knowles Hare was commissioned by impresario Flo Ziegfeld to create pastel illustrations of his glorified American girls based upon the the sittings between Johnston and the showgirls.
Artist: J. Knowles Hare
An important and poignant oil painting by the very well listed American artist and illustrator Francis Luis Mora. This large and expressive artwork was created as the frontispiece for the December 1918 issue of Red Cross Magazine. As published this was set atop moving poetry by Sara Teasdale reflecting on the mighty suffering and loss WWI had inflicted on our country’s women. A complete copy of the printed magazine with illustrated work is included in the sale.
Artist: Francis Luis Mora
A kinetic and surrealist hypnotic work showing an African Fertility Dance that likely was a proposed cover for The American Weekly magazine, for which the artist was active in the 1940s. Inscribed Property of Andre Durenceau lower right; a jarring work by one of our favorite avant-garde art deco era illustrators. Nicely matted and framed behind glass in a period frame.
Artist: Andre Durenceau
A moving and large Victorian era interior illustration presumably for the old LIFE magazine. An original grisaillle illustration by noted American illustrator C. Clyde Squires (1883-1970).
Artist: C. Clyde Squires
On offer here is an important avant-garde painting, acquired from the descendants of Frederick Waugh, which is stylistically in keeping with his work for The Clan Of Munes and appears to date to the same moment in the artist’s career. Using the same experimental techniques and playing with modernist abstraction, this eerie painting also hearkens back to Germanic fairy tales.
Artist: Frederick Judd Waugh
An exceedingly scarce and early Art Nouveau period original pastel portrait by Rolf Armstrong dated 1913. A crisply rendered serene take on a sad eyed solemn brown eyed lass. This pastel dates just one year later than his first published works of 1912 for Puck and Judge magazines. His signature had not yet become the stylized scripted font of which we are accustomed to seeing. I have yet to uncover the published version of this work, it was most likely commissioned as a sheet music cover or perhaps a cover for American Sunday Magazine, one of several periodicals willing to take a chance on the young emerging talent.
Artist: Rolf Armstrong
A topical newspaper illustration (presumably for the Hearst Newspapers) confronting the dilemma of Eugenics. In the 1910’s-1920’s the United States was faced with the question of whether individuals should marry with a mind towards creating superior babies through genetic family planning. This cartoon finds this notion farfetched and we see love conquering science to the shock and delight of a couple now free to live as their hearts command. A very sophisticated topical take on a pre-eminent question of the early 20th century. This is a fantastically rendered en grisaille style pen and ink drawing with highlights. En grisaille was a popular style in the early 20th century for illustrations created for reprinting. In a stylish contemporary fine gilded wood frame.
Artist: Gustav Michelson
A signed original mixed medium illustration by the renowned American illustrator Winold Reiss used as an interior book plate.
Artist: Winold Reiss
